Multi-objective optimization of liquid cold plate with V-shaped ribs for lithium-ion batterys

The performance of lithium-ion batteries is affected by the operational temperature significantly for the new energy vehicles, and should be below 338 K and 5 K, respectively, in the actual project. An efficient thermal management system is essential for the battery, as it would ensure the safe operation and increase the battery life. In this study, the liquid cold plate with V-shaped ribs is applied to improve the heat transfer characteristics for guaranteeing the safe operational temperature of the battery. Based on the battery thermal models, the accuracy of numerical simulation through classical experimental correlation is verified, and is adopted to investigate the effects of different design factors on the heat dissipation of the battery, including the ribbed shaped, the distance between adjacent ribs and the inlet velocity of the coolant. The maximum temperature and the temperature difference of the battery and the pressure drop of the channel are taken as the design objectives. An orthogonal test and an entropy weighted-TOPSIS method are used to optimize the results with multi-objective analysis, then the optimal case of design parameters is obtained. The optimal case for the liquid cold plate is the ribbed shape of Model 2, the distance between the adjacent ribs of 30 mm and the inlet velocity of 0.3 m/s. A good balance is achieved between the heat dissipation of the battery pack and the pressure drop of the channel. The optimal case can reduce the maximum temperature and the temperature difference of the battery by 7.41 K and 4.94 K compared with the unoptimized cases, meanwhile the pressure drop is also effectively controlled.